The Emperor and the Servant: A Tale of Two Heroes

Chapter 15: Hope

Previously:

Treachery! Marcus attacks his own father, while Christian takes the Princess in an apparent bid for power. The Emperor and Athena were unharmed though for they had separated from the main group. Raynen, upon arriving via teleportation spell, decided to kill Marcus with Maximus, whom he fought before being sent there and Uriel attempts to stop them but with his limited power in the physical plane, he is unable to extend the light to them. Meanwhile Athena and the Emperor go off to find the Opal. Athena shows much distrust towards him despite knowing full well he was immune to the fog. However, she expresses her shock when the Emperor protects her from a demon attack. He tells her that she reminds him of his late wife, which was why upon seeing her, he was driven to tears to the point he could never control himself, which was the actual reason why he was unaffected by the fog as the deep emotion was stronger than any negative feeling.  But in protecting her, he nearly loses his life. An enduring testament to true faith, the Emperor has changed Athena’s perspective and his will moves with his comrades, who conquer the Dark Powers and take the Opal home. But the War of Wars looms over them…

Main quote:

“Hope is what moves people to work in solidarity to achieve the things we cannot do alone. It helps us understand one another, believe in one another and love one another.” (Christian)

  September 20, 1205 A.D.

  It was business as usual for the Ministers of State. But this time, it was a gathering of the Big Three.

  They were the greatest Lords of the Empire. Genghis Khan of the East is the newest edition, replacing the Pope after he had declared that his spiritual power should not intervene in all political matters. Of all the Big Three, he held the most power. “So you come to tell us you found the Dark Knights’ base?” shouted Richard. He could not believe it. “What proof do you have, Lord Khan?” asked the polite Philip.

  “Captured rebel spies…” The Mongols recently caught a band of riders from their horde who were attacking villages indiscriminately. When they were brought to the Khanate, tortured and presented to the Great Khan, it was revealed that they were Dark Riders, the new sect of Dark Knights attacking the East.

  “According to reports, some of the Mongol hordes began acting strange. I had the laws set in place to regulate raids. So in the main Khanate, we had set up watch dogs to monitor the movement of the other hordes, the loyal eyes and ears of the Great Khan. Lord Subotai is one of them.”

  “Yes, I recall you saying that you were split from him then due to the Dark Knights’ ‘wolf raid’. I had initially thought he had joined the other side.” Philip remembered this from Khan’s first appearance.

  “Actually, Subotai did see some Mongols desert. They were the ones who founded the Dark Riders. They had set up a hidden camp in the plains and waited until they were visited by the Black Shadow.”

  “Black Shadow?”

  “He is a knight but some claim he is a mage. Nevertheless, he holds power in the group.”

  The Second Cultus arrives with news. “So he is still alive…” exclaims the Third Cultus

  A figure appears behind the two men, a large figure with bloody red eyes.

  “So he has not failed us after all…” Four moving legs made of gold…modeled after a crab. This was golden crystalline, a fusion of crystalline from Greece and the gold from the Royal Vault.

  It was both a throne and a walker…for Leviathan’s battered body. He had a mask on that was attached to two tubes of glass, one with blood and the other with water. “The Awakener is working on this vessel.”